Wednesday, August 1, 2001

Time to move on

By AMY RILEY
One Citizen's Perspective

There are times in our lives when we catch a wind in our sails and we set ourselves free, when the simplest of life's offerings beckon us to leave off from ourselves for a while. These are the times when we take a step inward and onward, and meet new challenges face on.

This is that time for me. I've caught a wind, and it's time to move on.

Writing this column has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It has also been one of the most challenging. I have learned some things along the way, about people, about writing, and about myself.

For starters, I've learned that writing for a newspaper is like writing in permanent marker. You better make sure that you're happy with the color of your ink because words make a lasting impression.

I've learned to avoid furthermores and heretofores. They are monumental bores that lead to reader snores.

I've learned that no matter how much you think you know about a topic, you are sure to learn something more about it right after you've written about it.

Writing a column is like cutting off a slice of yourself to see what you look like on the inside.

I've learned that no matter how many times you proofread your own work, mistakes can still sneak through. I think it's because when you read your own words, you see what you meant to say, not necessarily what you said.

I've learned that people who write on a deadline have a love/hate relationship with stress. You say, "If I ever make it through this time, I'll never wait till the last minute again." But then you do because that's how it is with deadlines, they're always coming due.

Having to create something on cue is like giving birth every week. As soon as you see your baby, and you know she's okay, you forget all about the pain of your labor. You think it was easier than it really was after it's all over.

I've learned that people like to see themselves in what they're reading. A good writer knows how to tap in to the universal truths of what it is to be human, to capture on paper what the reader is already thinking.

I've learned that I enjoy writing the "life stuff," more than the "political stuff," which is one of the reasons that I'm moving on now.

A long time ago, I applied to Auburn as an English major but switched majors after I got there. Now I'm going back to graduate school to get the degree that I should have gotten then.

I want to be quiet for a while, and hear what other people have to say. I want to focus on raising my family, and with what time I can borrow, catch a wind to see where it takes me.

I want to write books, and pass on a love of reading and writing to young people. I want to write the story that has haunted me for as long as I can remember so that I can move on and write something else.

I will be forever grateful to Cal Beverly for believing that I had the potential to write something worth reading. Some day I hope to put a book in your hand and prove you right.

Thank you for reading. Good bye for now.

[Your comments are welcome at AmyRileyOpEd@aol.com.]

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